Special Lecture: “Environmental Challenges and Opportunities”

The United Nations University, in association with the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is hosting “Environmental Challenges and Opportunities”, a lecture by Masoumeh Ebtekar, Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Head of the Department of Environment.

Dr. Ebtekar’s distinguished background as a scientist, journalist, activist and politician make her one of Iran’s most influential figures. She has been lauded as one of the world’s foremost environmental leaders, and as an outspoken reformer, notably calling for national dialogue on social and religious restrictions faced by Iranian women.

In this lecture Dr. Ebtekar will focus on our planet’s environmental challenges and progress, particularly through the lens of Iran and the broader Middle East, where three decades of conflicts and political unrest have taken a massive toll on natural resources and related economies. Dr. Ebtekar will highlight the central roles that peace, human rights and international dialogue must play in efforts to create sound environmental policies. She will provide important perspectives on urbanization and efforts towards sustainable urban environmental policy.

For anyone with an interest in environmental governance — particularly that of the contemporary Middle East — and its links to social change and international cooperation, this event should not be missed.

This event will be in English only; Japanese interpretation will not be provided.

Attendance to this event is free, but advance registration (by 2 April) is required. Please click on the REGISTER button above to access the online registration page.

About the Speaker

Dr. Masoumeh Ebtekar was born in Tehran, Iran in 1960. From 1981–1983, Dr. Ebtekar served as editor-in-chief of the English daily newspaper Kayhan International. A vocal advocate for women’s rights and civil society, she co-founded the Institute for Women’s Studies and Research in 1991 and since 1992 she has been the Managing Director of the Farzaneh Journal for Women’s Studies and Research. Dr. Ebtekar was appointed as the Head of the Women’s NGO Coordinating Office and Vice Head of the National Committee to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. Later, she was elected as the President of the Network of Women’s NGOs in Iran. Dr. Ebtekar holds a BSc degree in laboratory science and an MSc and PhD in immunology, and she has been a faculty member of Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran since 1996. From 1997 to 2005 she served as the country’s first female Vice President and Head of the Department of Environment, a position she was reappointed to in September 2013. In 2006, she founded the Center for Peace and Environment based in Tehran. In 2006 Dr. Ebtekar was awarded the prestigious UNEP “Champion of the Earth” award.